


Darkside

by YumishioriRhul



Category: Pocket Monsters: Sword & Shield | Pokemon Sword & Shield Versions
Genre: ALL THE FLUFF, Duraludon!Raihan, Fluff and Angst, Hybrid AU, Hybrid!Piers, Hybrid!Raihan, I ended up writing smut xD, M/M, Noivern!Piers, Other, Smut, Trans!Piers, a little bit of angst too, dragon!Raihan, so sweet your teeth hurt
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-28
Updated: 2020-12-10
Packaged: 2021-03-09 20:21:27
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 16,968
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27762187
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/YumishioriRhul/pseuds/YumishioriRhul
Summary: Having found an abandoned egg, Piers has to set aside his differences to approach Raihan. He doesn't expect to get any sort of help, but when Raihan offers not only his nest but to help hatch and care for the egg, Piers is not only taken by surprise but accepts the offer.What neither of them know is that this changes their lives and views of each other.(now with cover art courtesy ofFuyu!)
Relationships: Kibana | Raihan/Nezu | Piers
Comments: 34
Kudos: 97





	1. Offering

Being assaulted by many scents and sounds, Piers found himself at a slight disadvantage. That was nothing new for the Noivern Hybrid. Over the many years that he and Raihan of the Hammerlocke Clan have scuffled for land, the Duraludon-Dragon Hybrid had learned the best ways to distract and disorient Piers. Luckily for him, Piers wasn't here to scuffle for land. No, he only entered the territory to gain Raihan’s attention and it seemed he did so rather quickly.    
  
Now, he need only to tire out the shiny, metallic dragon chasing him. It was the only way he’d be able to talk civilly with his neighboring clan’s leader. If this were any other time, Piers would enjoy the thrill of a scrap with Raihan. Today, though, he was too concerned with the thing he’d found and knew needed a better life than it received in his own clan’s territory. Though, he would admit that he was enjoying the thrill of the chase. It sent fire through his veins as he did his best to outrun Raihan longer than any other time they’d crossed paths.    
  
Piers ducked into a nearby cave, using his wings to carry him towards the ceiling. He hummed softly, using the vibrations to find his way through the dark cave. He’d been running from Raihan for nearly half a day now. Raihan  _ had _ to be worn out at this point… right? Well, Piers was going to find out soon enough. He didn’t duck into this cave thinking he could get away from Raihan easily.    
  
This cave in particular was a trap and Piers knew it.    
  
But Piers was tired of running and hiding. He only hoped he wore out Raihan enough to get him to listen without a fight. Piers landed in the center of the cave, turning back to the cave entrance. He waited for the tell-tell thunderous steps before he was looking into bright blues. His hackles rose as Raihan approached him, the metal-like scales losing their shine as the darkness of the cave enveloped the larger hybrid’s body.    
  
“You gave quite the chase today, Piers. Ain’t like you… most others would think you’re trying to court me or something.”    
  
Raihan’s voice seemed playful, but Piers easily picked up on the underlying tiredness to it. He started to lower his guard some. “I ain’t ‘ere to fight, Raihan.”   
  
This made Raihan pause, narrowing his eyes at Piers. “If you’re not here to fight… then  _ why  _ are you here?” Piers could hear the doubt in his voice. He expected to, after all, they’ve always scuffled any time they’ve met.   
  
Piers huffed, moving his wing aside and retrieving the egg from the makeshift satchel he’d made to carry it. He watched Raihan’s eyes widen before narrowing once more. Piers raised one hand to keep him from talking, “Not my egg, I found it abandoned… an’ I know as well as ye do that Spikemuth Territory ain’t th’ best place to rear young an’ all that… I figured yer clan an’ territory was th’ best option…”   
  
Piers expected the stunned look on Raihan’s face. He knew this would be a long shot and that there was a high chance Raihan would turn him away while laughing in his face. What he didn’t expect was what came instead.    
  
“Ah… You know I can’t disagree that my territory is the best place but…” Raihan scratched the back of his neck before shaking his head. “There’s not any open nests for an abandoned egg.”   
  
Piers looked at Raihan with wide eyes before bringing his sight down to the egg. His claws gently ran over the shell as his face and shoulders fell. He came all this way, did all that running, just for nothing? He shook his head slowly, closing his eyes as he hugged the egg close. Piers knew. He knew there was a chance he’d not get any help coming here… just not in this way. What was he going to do now? He really couldn’t raise the egg in Spikemuth. The Territory had gotten too dangerous to rear hatchlings, and like hell was he going to go to Wyndon Territory and ask for help. The only dragon he trusted there was Leon.    
  
“...Well… none open except for my own that is.”    
  
Piers lifted his head and his eyes snapped open. He stared at Raihan for a long time in a silence that slowly turned awkward. Was Raihan really…? He couldn’t really be serious about that could he? He thought back to Raihan’s comment about courting and he started to wonder some things. Had their scuffles been more than just scuffles to Raihan? Piers snapped back to the present, patting his cheek with his free hand. That didn’t matter right now. He was being offered Raihan’s nest… which meant Raihan was asking him to stay with him to rear the egg.    
  
There were so many potential meanings behind the offer. Raihan could be courting him, he could be tricking him into a deal Piers had no idea about, he could just be being nice, there were just so many possibilities! No matter what they were, Piers knew he needed to jump on this offer.    
  
“What’s th’ catch?” Of course, he couldn’t go in completely blind.    
  
“No catch… besides you and I both rasing the egg.”    
  
“Wait, ye wanna raise the egg too?” Piers’ eyebrows pinched together.    
  
“Yea… to be honest, I’ve never had the chance to raise an egg. I’ve always wanted to, though. So if you can deal with that, then you can use my nest.” Raihan shrugged some, moving to sit on the ground. Piers watched him warily before looking back at the egg again. This was the best chance this egg would have of growing up in the right environment. Piers nodded, moving over to Raihan and sitting a few inches in front of him.    
  
After so many years of scuffling and fighting, Piers was still wary around Raihan. But if Raihan wanted to bond with this egg, Piers was going to need to get over that wariness. He looked at Raihan, a concerned look on his face. Raihan reached out, placing his hand on the egg, returning the concerned look. For once in their long-spanning lives, they had common ground. They were both worried about the hatchling in the egg and how it’d turn out once it hatched. Piers had some experience raising an egg, he had to partially do so for Marnie. Speaking of, she’d be in charge of the clan now. She was a grown woman and could handle that with little hassle. She’d probably be a better leader than he ever was anyway.    
  
They sat like that for a while before Raihan broke the silence.    
  
“Hey, look… I know we’ve done nothing but fight over territory but I’m not a bad guy and I know you’re probably not either. I know this isn’t going to be easy for either of us, but I’m willing to try for this egg…”   
  
“Ye ain’t gotta say any more, Rai. It’ll be tough, but worth it. Rearin’ hatchlin’s ain’t all it’s cracked up to be, but I think we can manage it.” Piers reached out and gently pat Raihan’s arm. The awkwardness lightened some. For what felt like an hour, they sat there in silence. Raihan gently took the egg at one point, looking it over. Piers watched him closely, his parental instincts making him overprotective of the egg. Every cell in his body screamed to take the egg back but if he did that then he’d just show Raihan he didn’t trust him and he wanted to give him a chance.    
  
Raihan eventually handed the egg back and stood up. Piers placed the egg back in the satchel and looked up to Raihan’s offered hand. He gently took it, the other hybrid hauling him up onto his feet with ease. Raihan clicked his tongue and shook his head, “I hope you know that while living with me and using my nest you’re going to be eating more.”   
  
Piers snorted and rolled his eyes, “Yea, sure… good luck with that one.”    
  
“I’m the best cook around, I’ll make food so delicious you’d be insane to decline it!” Raihan puffed up his chest and raised his chin. Piers smirked and chuckled behind his hand before slightly shaking his head.    
  
Their walk back to Raihan’s den was as silent as when they sat in the cave. Piers didn’t mind that. What he did mind were all the eyes staring at him as they walked past other dens and nests. Some looks were plain curious and that was okay but others… they were glares. He couldn’t blame them, He’s only ever been seen fighting Raihan. He could only imagine what was going through their minds. He wouldn’t put it past some of them to think he put a spell on their leader.    
  
Piers did his best to put it out of his mind, instead, checking on the egg to make sure it was still tucked snugly into the satchel. He’d filled it with plenty of materials to keep the egg sufficiently warm. When he lifted his eyes, he paused. The den was  _ huge _ and rather regal. If it was this nice looking on the outside, he wondered just how nice and immaculate Raihan’s nest was inside the den. He paused in the entrance, suddenly feeling small in such a huge space. Piers never took a big den, just one big enough for him to live in without worry. He pushed down his anxiety, walking again when Raihan looked at him with a raised eyebrow. He really didn’t want to explain to Raihan his insecurities. Piers followed Raihan through the twisting hall of his home before they reached Raihan’s nesting room. He paused, his jaw-dropping as he stared.   
  
_ Oh gods _ , this was worse than he thought.


	2. The Do's and Don'ts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Piers gives Raihan a crash course in caring for an egg.

The nest before him was beyond clean and immaculate. Piers suddenly felt severely uncomfortable at using it. That feeling passed as soon as his instincts kicked in. He turned to look at Raihan, a realization having dawned on him. There was only one reason a nest would be so perfect. Piers felt wrong asking the question, but he needed to know.    
  
“Raihan ‘ave ye never─?” Raihan looked away from him, crossing his arms over his chest as he sighed and shrugged. Piers winced at the reaction, knowing he probably hit a bit of a nerve. “Shite… ‘m sorry… do ye wanna talk about it?”   
  
“No, I don’t  _ really  _ want to talk about how much of a failure I am as a dragon!” He snapped, turning to look at Piers with a low growl. Piers raised his free hand in surrender and Raihan sighed, rubbing his hands over his face. “Sorry… I didn’t mean─ but it’s so frustrating! I haven’t had a single mate. Others are interested… we hook up and I find out they don’t want to stay. They just want to hook up with me cause I’m the leader.” he growled out from clenched teeth.    
  
Piers didn’t know why but all uncomfortableness and awkwardness fell away as he reached out to gently touch Raihan’s arm. Raihan looked at him, glaring at first until the expression slipped away, replaced with a sad one instead. “They’re idiots to use ye like that. Jus’ to brag that they got to couple with their leader. It’s revoltin’.” Piers gently squeezed his arm before walking away from him and over to the nest. He could feel Raihan’s eyes watching him as he knelt.    
  
Piers pulled his bag out of it’s hidden spot tucked under his opposite wing. He set it against the nest. Piers climbed into it, now fine with changing up the build of the nest to fit their needs for the egg. He started with moving some of the treasure tucked into the base over to one side. He moved to the center of the nest, gently using his hand to loosen the sticks and hay that made up part of the base. When he was happy with that, he built the base with a shallow hole to nestle the egg into. Placing the egg into the indent a few times, he started to cover the base in various soft things already found in the nest currently. Blankets, feathers, flowers, and even pillows.    
  
“What are you doing?” Raihan’s voice sounded a lot more curious than Piers expected it to. He paused in what he was doing to turn and see a face full of not only curiosity but enthusiasm at wanting to learn. Piers beckoned him closer, unable to deny someone so excited.    
  
“I made a shallow hallow into the base o’ th’ nest to nestle th’ egg into…” Piers returned his attention back to tucking the egg into the now covered indent. “Coverin’ it with soft yet warm fabrics ‘elp to keep it warm if either o’ us ‘ave to go out at th’ same time.” He moved the pillows to line the side of the egg. He hummed, appreciating how the egg fit into the nest. But Piers’ instincts were screaming at him that there wasn’t enough of his own scent in the nest. He grabbed his bag from nearby, grabbing out a few of his own blankets to tuck around the egg.    
  
“And you’re adding more to keep in the heat?”    
  
“Right. Though ye don’t wanna over do it. Gotta give it jus’ the right amount o’ ‘eat.” Piers grabbed some of the treasure, adding it to the edges under the blankets. He pulled a couple of gems from his bag and showed them to Raihan. “Tuckin’ gems into th’ sides o’ th’ indent is a good way to keep th’ shell strong. It knocks off old sales on th’ egg to make room for new an’ stronger ones.” Piers took out the rest of his own items, setting them aside. “I know ye said we’re usin’ th’ nest for the egg, but s’it okay for me to sleep ‘ere too? I wouldn’t feel right leavin’ th’ egg alone an’ while we’re both raisin’ it, my instincts are makin’ me over protective o’ th’ egg an’─”   
  
“Hey, it’s fine. I get it, and I haven’t slept in this nest in a long time.” Raihan smiled at him.   
  
“If yer ‘elpin’ me raise this egg, yer gonna ‘ave to stay sleepin’ in it too. Th’ egg won’t imprint on ye otherwise.” Piers started tucking his things into the nest on one side.    
  
“Are you going to be okay with that?” Raihan sounded concerned.    
  
“Yea, best way to get to know one another an’ get over this little bit o’ wariness an’ awkwardness we’re still experiencin’.” Piers turned to Raihan and motioned for him to join him in the nest. He watched Raihan hesitate before climbing in as well. He moved closer to the egg and beckoned the other hybrid over. “So, let me teach ye th’ do’s an’ don’ts o’ rearin’ an egg.” He watched Raihan nod before starting. “Well, firstly, ye gotta be careful ‘andlin’ th’ egg. It looks strong but it’s pretty fragile. Don’t drop it if ye can ‘elp it an’ never Place it on these two sides.” he touched the top and bottom of the egg. “I know it’s temptin’ to set it upright, but many o’ my own clan ‘ave told me time an’ again while rearin’ Marnie’s egg that doin’ that will cause complications with th’ ‘atchin’ process.”   
  
“So no setting it upright, only laying it down on its side, got it.”    
  
“About every four to six hours be sure to turn it. Ye want to make sure it’s evenly heated. So long as ye do it at a consistent time, th’ egg will ‘atch quicker.” Piers ran his fingers over the scaling on the egg. “The egg will shed a few times throughout th’ rearin’ process. That’s part o’ why the gems are tucked into th’ nest but sometimes shed gets stuck so we’ll need to get it off if that ‘appens.” He reached over into his side of the nest, pulling out a bottle of oil. “I ‘ave an oil I made jus’ for stuck shed. Ye can go through my side if ye ever need it. That’s for the egg or yerself. It’s a simple enough oil that I can make it again easily.”   
  
“O-oh! Thank you!” Raihan blushed lightly and Piers chalked it up to embarrassment. “So make sure to turn the egg, get stuck shed off, and don’t ever put it upright. Anything else?”    
  
“Yea, there’s always more. The blankets will need to be washed an’ the nestin’ material will ‘ave to be replaced monthly. Normally nestin’ material can last nearly ‘alf a year but th’ shed as well as cleanin’ the egg in nest will mean things ‘ave to be washed and replaced more frequently. Washin’ th’ egg is simple. It’s gonna get dirty from us comin’ an’ goin’ from th’ nest constantly. So just some water, a brush, an' soap should suffice.” Piers stretched his back and wings.    
  
“What should I know next?” The way Raihan bounced reminded Piers of an excited puppy. It was actually kind of cute.    
  
It was also appealing to his instincts.    
  
“Jus’ a few more things.” Piers stretched out before curling around the egg. “When not turning it, it’s always good to curl around the egg much like ‘m doin’ now. Yer body ‘eat is a good way to keep th’ exposed side o’ th’ egg warm. Normally, ye’d think that’d be it but that’s not th’ case. What ye ain’t taught or told is that ye should always talk an’ touch th’ egg. Pettin’ th’ egg while tellin’ it yer day is a great way to get it to bond an’ imprint on ye. It also will promote good communication skills in th’ ‘atchlin’. Ye ain’t jus’ gotta pet it an’ talk, ye can gently rock it back an’ forth in the indent, lightly scratch it, hum to it, and even sing if that’s what ye fancy. Anythin’ to bond with it.” Piers pet the egg as he spoke, his eyes on it.    
  
Raihan inched closer, watching him, “There’s so much to know, but I’m really excited to finally be able to rear a hatchling. I’ve always wanted my nest filled.” He smiled softly as he looked at the egg, an expression Piers had never seen on the other hybrid’s face.    
  
“Well, ye ‘ave it now. We’ll need to take turns ‘untin’ an’ scourin’ for things to fill th’ nest with.”   
  
“And bathing and eating.” Piers opened his mouth, closing it when Raihan gave him a determined look. “If you don’t take your turn, I’ll just come back and feed you while you’re caring for the egg.” He puffed his chest up.   
  
Piers could do nothing but hum in response. His instincts liked the idea of that but Piers had to remind himself that they weren’t mates. Raihan had been kind enough to let his rival use his nest to raise an abandoned egg, nothing more.    
  
“I can’t wait to see ye try an’ do that.” Piers commented idly, smirking some.    
  
“I look forward to the challenge!” Raihan puffed up more, grinning. If Piers didn’t know better, he’d think that Raihan was starting to court him… in a roundabout way. But Piers knew better and wasn’t going to let his instincts trick him into another false courting. He went through that once with Jaxon, like hell would he go through it again.    
  
“Anyways, ‘ll take th’ first watch. Ye can go ‘unt an’ stuff.” Piers gently scratched the surface of the egg. He could feel Raihan’s eyes on him before the taller hybrid got up.    
  
“Alright! I’ll be back with food for you too!” He grinned wildly, “Just you wait! I’ll catch the best meat you ever had in your life!” Piers couldn’t help but stare at him even as he turned and bolted down the winding halls of the den. Was he really going to make Piers eat? He looked at himself and sighed some. Well… it had been a few days since he really ate. He always gave his hunts to Marnie to make sure she had enough strength for the day. Piers sighed softly, determined to not give in to his instincts.   
  
Even if he really did want Raihan to look his way and be his mate.


	3. Quality Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Raihan gets to spend time with the egg, alone with it for the first time!
> 
> He spends that time also fauning over a certain Noivern Hybrid and proving to the egg just how head over heels he is.

Raihan hummed as he gently turned the egg he was carefully curled around. It was Piers’ turn to go hunt, scour for new treasure and stuff for the nest, or whatever he wanted to do while Raihan took care of the egg. He’d seen the hesitation in the smaller hybrid’s eyes when he told Piers it was his turn. He couldn’t blame Piers, he was severely attached to the egg and Raihan used to be his rival.   
  
Well… that’s how Piers saw it, while to Raihan it was something different.    
  
All their scuffles and fights were akin to courting in Raihan’s eyes. That’s just how his clan worked. Of course, his people did see his and Piers’ bouts in the same light as Piers. But hell, with how any potential mates from his own clan only wanted him for his rank, could anyone really blame him for letting his instincts see his fights with Piers as courting? He was very much aware Piers didn’t feel that way and would never force himself onto the smaller hybrid. He wasn’t like that at all! He did, however, plan to let his feelings known. That would be when Piers was more comfortable.   
  
For now, he’d take the victory of getting Piers to eat earlier. The look of surprise on the sweet thing’s face as he ate made Raihan puff his chest out proudly. Piers devoured the meat with little hesitation. With how he ate, Raihan idly wondered if he hadn’t eaten in a few days. He didn’t want to be rude and so didn’t ask, too busy admiring the man in his nest.    
  
He always thought Piers was beautiful and majestic during their battles but now? Man, Piers was desire incarnate. Raihan couldn’t help himself fawning over Piers as he watched the smaller hybrid do everything. From eating to caring for the egg and especially when Piers was teaching him how to properly rear an egg. Piers was beautiful and fierce in everything he did and it really appealed to Raihan’s instincts. From their first scrap until now, Raihan had indulged himself in subtly courting Piers.    
  
He  _ slightly _ hoped that Piers would notice one day. But over the years, Piers had yet to see it. That was okay, Raihan would wait for him for all of eternity if he finally got to have a mate who wanted to be with him for more than his status. Piers, after all, was perfect mate material! He could scrap with the best of them, he was regal, a great parent, and fierce in both looks and personality. He also had a kind heart. All of these things made him quite alluring to Raihan.    
  
Regardless, he assured Piers the egg would be fine. It took him a bit of convincing to get Piers to leave the egg alone with him.    
  
Raihan sighed longingly as he gently rocked the egg from side to side with his tail. He reached into his side of the nest, pulling out his notebook, feather quill, and ink. He turned to a new page and started writing, talking out loud. He decided reading his entries out loud as he wrote them would be like reading the egg stories. These were just stories about how much he was head over heels for Piers and that (hopefully) one day they’d become mates.    
  
“Today, Piers taught me how to properly wash and clean the egg! You should’ve seen it! His chest fur fluffed up and his tail slightly wagged as he demonstrated how to do it! If that wasn’t cute enough, Piers crooned when I showed I could do it with no hassle on the first try! He’s just so adorable, I can’t help myself! Hopefully, soon I’ll get to see more of his beauty in action!” He grinned at the page, setting the notebook open to the side so the ink could dry. He cleaned the quill before setting it and the ink back into their places in the nest.    
  
Raihan found his eyes drawn to one of the blankets Piers had tucked under the egg earlier. “I still can’t believe he has it still…” He muttered to himself before smiling and shaking his head.   
  
Raihan pressed his cheek gently to the egg and sighed with a deep yearning in his chest. He gently ran one of his claws over the shell. “Do you think maybe one day he’ll notice me too?” He whispered to it. He closed his eyes, humming a soft tune his mother used to hum to him as a hatchling.    
  
Raihan didn’t know how long he’d been like that, being gentle with the egg as he hummed tribal hymn after hymn. He never thought himself that great at singing but he was good at humming! That counted for something right? He heard of Piers’ singing prowess but never heard it for himself yet. He hoped to one day! He wondered how much harder he’d fall when he finally got to be graced with a new form of Piers’ beauty.    
  
“What hymn was that?”   
  
Piers’ voice snapped Raihan back to the present. He opened his eyes and lifted his face. “Not sure of the name, I just know my mother used to sing it to me when I was little.”    
  
He watched as Piers set the things he brought back in a nearby corner of the cave. Raihan noted that it was more straw and feathers. Nesting materials. There were some shiny treasures mixed into the spoils brought back. Was that what Piers liked to hoard? Shiny things? He looked at his own metallic scales, debating offering them to Piers at some point.   
  
“I think I might know that hymn… but ye’d ‘ave to sing it for me.” Piers joined him in the nest, looking over the egg gently.    
  
Raihan laughed nervously, “You wouldn’t want to hear me sing. It’s really not that great.”    
  
“Well… if ye want me to ever sing it to th’ ‘atchlin’, yer gonna ‘ave to sing it for me.” Piers smiled as he finished checking the egg over. “Yer doin’ real good. I can tell th’ ‘atchlin’ is bondin’ with ye already.”   
  
“I… might sing it later…” Raihan cleared his throat, laughing some, “Well, I have a good teacher! I’m glad the egg likes me so much.”  _ I like  _ **_you_ ** _ so much.  _   
  
“Complimentin’ me now?” Piers eyed him but… was that a playful gleam in his eyes? “Well, it’s gettin’ pretty late. Mind if I join ye?”   
  
“Join me?” Raihan tilted his head, curious. What did Piers mean by that? He was already in the nest, what else could he do to join him? It definitely wasn’t mating… not that Raihan would say no to that in any scenario.    
  
“Yea, like curling around th’ egg with ye.” Piers raised an eyebrow at him.  _ Oh, that’s what he meant.  _ Raihan blushed in embarrassment but nodded to Piers. He watched Piers curl around the other side of the egg, laying face to face with him. He watched Piers pet the egg gently. “Did Da’ tell ye some good things today?”    
  
Hearing Piers call him “Da’” to the egg did things to his heart. He was so tempted to hit his head on the base of the nest with how badly he wanted Piers to stop being oblivious. How could he so easily call Raihan that but not notice his courting attempts? Raihan actually knew the answer to that and he kinda wished he did more when he had the chance.    
  
Jaxon.   
  
That fucker was the bane of his gods damned existence. Had he not courted Piers before Raihan got a chance to, then maybe Piers would have realized Raihan was serious about his advances. But Jaxon courted Piers. He  _ pretended  _ to court Piers, leading the sweet innocent thing into thinking they’d be mates. Then he up and rubbed it in Piers’ face that they weren’t mates and never were going to be. That Piers was just a pretty thing to use and get better potential mates through. This led Piers into seeking Raihan out for a spar. A scuffle that saw Piers venting about what happened, using it as taunts to egg Raihan on in the fight.    
  
**_“C’mon Raihan! Yer stronger than a pathetic Noivern Hybrid like me! Surely ye can kick the arse of someone who ain’t ever been worth anythin’!”_ ** **_  
_ ** **_  
_ ** They did egg Raihan on, but not in the way Piers thought. He hated Piers talking down about himself. He gave Piers the fight he wanted, one that ended with Piers passing out at the end of it. Raihan ended up having to carry Piers back to his sister. Piers probably doesn’t remember that. Then he didn’t see Piers for a week, and that was unlike him. They tended to brawl at least two times a week. Raihan quickly learned that after handing Piers over to Marnie, he curled up in the nest he’d spent the previous months making and had yet to leave it. There were rumors over Piers sobbing in it, of Piers not eating.   
  
Raihan couldn’t have that. His potential mate was in trouble of withering away, and Raihan wasn’t going to let that happen. The first thing he did was make Jaxon disappear. Good riddance to that thorn in his side. Then he started leaving courting gifts at Piers’ den entrance. He just wanted to bring his feisty little hybrid back. Raihan hadn’t been sure it would work, but it had been the only thing he thought of at the time.   
  
Luckily for him, it did.    
  
Raihan’s eyes were drawn back to that blanket again. A gift he left Piers that he’d made himself, lining the edges with a few of his scales. He thought for sure that would give him away and yet Piers seemed to not have noticed whose scales they were. A realization dawned on him then. What if Piers did know… and accepted the gifts he left knowing it was him? No, if that was the case then…   
  
Raihan looked at Piers, watching him coo softly to the egg. He looked gorgeous so close up. Determination flared in Raihan’s veins.    
  
Even if he had to confess in the most lovey-dovey way possible, he’d do it just to have Piers as his mate!


	4. A Conversation and Fluff

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Raihan pays Leon a visit, since he needs someone to vent to about his woes. 
> 
> Piers is getting awfully close with Raihan and Raihan is doing his best not to misinterpret things. But, Dammit, Piers is just so damn cute.

Adjusting the satchel full of recently cleaned and preserved venison, Raihan grinned. A full week had passed like a swift breeze. He’d gotten to witness a whole assortment of different reactions and ways that Piers dealt with things. All of them more adorable than the last. So much so, that if he didn’t talk to _someone_ about it, he was going to explode! Not to mention, he’d gotten so much closer with Piers that their initial awkwardness and wariness had long faded away.   
  
He had to admit that part of it was proving himself daily to Piers. Even if Piers didn’t go out to hunt, he would care for the egg. There were days where he knew Piers stayed up all night. At first, he thought that it was because he was so close to the egg and Piers wasn’t comfortable with it yet. He quickly found out it was due to nightmares related to Jaxon. He was awoken one night from Piers’ soft whimpers, though he pretended to sleep. He could hear the smaller hybrid whispering about Jaxon being right. It made Raihan’s heart ache. So, he’d take on caring for the egg and insist on Piers taking a nap.   
  
That had been an exercise in and of itself. The first time he told Piers to nap and let him handle things, Piers put up a fight. It ended up with them scuffling in the nest, very much aware of the egg, and careful not to fight too close to it. The small scrap came to an end when Raihan had Piers pinned under him. They stayed like that for what felt like forever, their heavy breaths mingling before Raihan moved off the smaller hybrid. Raihan couldn’t remember if Piers was blushing but he knew that he had been. Being so close to Piers like that always affected him.   
  
After that, there were no more scuffles and Piers would curl up for a nap. Raihan thought they’d go back to being awkward but that’s not how it happened. No, the first time Piers actually gave in to the suggestions to nap, he actually curled up against Raihan’s side, his tail curled around the egg. Needless to say, Raihan had been quite surprised at the sudden closeness and affection. Don’t get him wrong, he welcomed it fully and even reached down to stroke Piers’ hair to try and help him sleep.   
  
From there they only seemed to be getting closer. This closeness was giving Raihan hope even if Piers hadn’t said anything to confirm they were on the same page. This is why Raihan was now standing at the edge of the territory border between Hammerlocke and Wyndon. He looked around for the familiar black and light blue scales. When he found them, he grinned jumping over the border to tackle his best friend to the ground.   
  
“Oof! Raihan!”  
  
“Lee!” He nuzzled the other hybrid, beaming.   
  
“Well, someone’s in a good mood.” Leon laughed, “I see you’ve just finished hunting, which you never visit me after those. So… what did I miss?”  
  
“A lot! The short story is that I’m sharing a nest with Piers.”  
  
“Wait, _what!?_ Sharing a nest with your rival you’re pining over? I didn’t think Piers would be the type to be into that!” Leon looked genuinely surprised.   
  
“Hang on now!” Raihan couldn’t help his chuckle, “The long story is that Piers found an abandoned egg and approached me about letting my clan rear it. There were no nests open so I offered my own since I don’t use it and here we are!”  
  
“Okay, so then why are you here to chat with me? Shouldn’t you be putting the moves on Piers?” Leon crossed his arms, leaning against a nearby tree.   
  
“That’s the issue. I _have_ been putting the moves on him! Hell, he’s even been a bit more intimate with me, like cuddling up to me when he naps. I mean, I was pretty open when leaving those courting gifts at his den years ago! Which, did you know? He still has that blanket I made him! I would have thought that would have made it obvious but Piers hasn’t said anything about it.” Raihan sighed, “It’s driving me crazy Lee! What do I do?”  
  
“Man, I thought you had it bad before…” Leon smirked and shook his head. “Sounds like you’re going to have to be upfront. The only way you’ll get through to Piers is through a confession.”  
  
“What if he doesn’t believe me?” Raihan whined.   
  
“Well, I know you’ve never reared an egg before so I’m assuming Piers taught you. That means you took notes because you always write down anything cute Piers has done during your scuffles. By that logic, I assume you have a notebook full of instructions with notations talking about how adorable Piers is. Just show him that if he doesn’t believe you.” Leon shrugged at him.   
  
Raihan hugged him tight, “Leon, you’re a genius! This is why you’re the leader of the Wyndon clan!” He grinned at his best friend as he seemed to relax. “Oh, how is Hop’s courting of Marnie going?”  
  
“Oh, it went well! They’re mates and Hop moved nest to be with Marnie in the Spikemuth Territory. Marnie has said that if they have eggs, they’re moving nest to Postwick.”  
  
“Ah geez, so Piers wasn’t kidding about how Spikemuth territory isn’t good for rearing eggs.” Raihan felt bad about that, he thought Piers had meant that in a semi-joking manner when he asked him to take in the egg.   
  
“Unfortunately, no. I’ve been trying to remedy the issue with some of my brood mates since it was Rose’s fault for how hostile and dangerous Spikemuth’s land has grown. He’s the one who migrated dangerous animals onto the land. I wish I could do more, I’m sure he wishes his clan could have their young on their own land inside of having to petition other clans for nesting dens.” Leon pushed off the tree he was leaning against, “Anyways, I have to get back and I’m sure you do too. We both know Piers gets nervous when things seem off and I know you’ve probably never been gone this long. Tell Piers I said Hi and that Marnie says hi, she misses him, and that she’s got a good handle on the clan.”  
  
Raihan nodded to him, giving Leon a big hug before stepping back into his own territory. “I will, thanks Lee, see you around!” He waved before darting back towards his clan lands. Learning that Piers’ land was worse off than he knew upset Raihan more than he thought was possible. He wanted to do something about that, so just before reaching his den, he spoke with his brood mates. Raihan did what he should have done a week ago, he made it clear to his clan that Piers was not a threat. Once he made sure everyone understood that, he then spoke of what Rose did to Spikemuth’s lands and recruited a few of his people to scout the land and learn what they could about the new dangerous and invasive animals. After doing all of that, Raihan entered his den to the sight of Piers gently rocking the egg.   
  
_Singing_.  
  
♪ _”Black is the color of my true love’s hair, his face is something wondrous fair, the clearest eyes and the strongest hands, I love the ground on which he stands…”♪_   
  
No one could have prepared Raihan for a voice like that. Even if it was the tail end of a song, just a small sample of that sweet voice had him nearly weeping. He waited a moment, glad he had dipped back around the last corner just before the room. He needed time to let that beautiful voice fully sink in. Once he felt he had his heart fully under control, he entered the nesting room.   
  
“Welcome back.” Piers greeted, turning that teal gaze on him.   
  
“Before you get onto me, I paid Leon a visit after my hunt. He says Marnie is doing good and has the clan handled but she misses you.” Raihan smiled gently, setting his hunting spoils to the side for now. The look of relief that passed Piers’ face made his heart flutter. He watched the smaller hybrid turn his attention back to the egg. Raihan’s eyes drifted over the nest before he spotted something interesting. He entered the nest and settled beside Piers as he picked up the item, looking it over. His brain worked out quickly what it was. It was a handmade item used to brush one’s hair.   
  
He then had the sudden urge to turn and brush Piers’ luscious locks.   
  
Raihan let out a soft sigh, looking over at Piers at just the right time to watch him take his hair down. He gave Raihan a look that meant he had permission. Oh gods, Piers was going to let him─! Raihan turned quickly, taking a section of that thick yet soft hair into his free hand. He gently ran the brush through the silky hair, rumbling a purr at how happy and honored he was to get to do this. He could even hear the soft little happy purr Piers gave in return. _Be still my heart!_ As he was taking his time to groom Piers, he felt a pinch on his tail and yelped slightly.   
  
“Oi, ye bloody bellend. I told ye to use that shed oil if this ‘appened!” Piers growled out, chastising him for the stuck shed on his tail. Before Raihan could respond, Piers grabbed his oil from nearby and smacked Raihan’s hand. “Yer not brushin’ my ‘air again until we get all o’ yer stuck shed off!” Raihan was completely gobsmacked by Piers’ actions. Not just because he was being chastised but because grooming someone else like this was considered courting. He snapped out of his daze as Piers finished getting the stuck shed off his tail. Piers fussed over the rest of his visible stuck shed for nearly an hour.   
  
Once happy, Piers moved Raihan so he could settle in his lap and both of them could be close enough to the egg that Piers could rock it with his tail. Piers nodded to him signaling he was allowed to continue brushing his hair. Raihan was more than happy to get back to it. He hummed as he worked section by section, brushing out all the little tangles in Piers’ hair. When Raihan was done, he set the brush back on Piers’ side of the nest and kissed the top of his head.   
  
“I was going to wait to do this and, gods I’m nervous. Piers… I want you to be my mate.” Raihan closed his eyes waiting. He opened them when nothing came from the sweet thing in his lap, “Piers?” He tilted his head to look at Piers’ face and sighed out a laugh. At some point, he must have fallen asleep while Raihan was brushing his hair. “Another time then.” Raihan smiled softly.   
  
_Another, and probably better, time._


	5. Confession

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Raihan attempts to confess and gets interrupted multiple times.  
> (Spoiler, it's Piers' PoV)

Piers had never felt so confused in his entire life. He’d told himself in the beginning that he wouldn’t do this again. He wouldn’t let his instincts take over and assume things that weren’t true. So, why, for the last week, has he allowed them to run wild? He’d been through this before, dammit! He let his instincts do what they naturally do only to find out he wasn’t wanted! But something in him told him he was wrong this time. He need only to open his eyes.   
  
He let out a heavy sigh, scratching lightly on the egg’s shell, pulling off some of the shed in the process. So much for keeping things under control. Instead of letting himself stew in his feelings, Piers decided to think about something else. Like how it seemed that Raihan was trying to tell him something for the last couple of days. Every time he tried to say whatever it was to Piers, he got interrupted. Whether it was from an outside force interrupting him or just Piers remembering something he needed to tell Raihan. He felt bad about it, simply because every time afterward, Raihan would wave it off as not that important. It must be rather important if Raihan was trying to tell him multiple times.  
  
“Do ye think Da’ is jus’ too nervous to tell me whatever it is he’s gotta tell me?” Piers whispered to the egg. He felt it slightly move and he smiled softly. Recently, it started to move whenever he talked to it. Progress. Piers lifted his head, his ear swiveling as he heard Raihan’s heavy footsteps. “Sounds like Da’s back with whatever he’s brought back today.” He propped himself up on his elbow, “Welcome ‘ome, Rai.”  
  
Piers would never get sick of that grin on the bigger hybrid’s face. “I’m home! Brought back more nesting materials and treasure for the nest! We still have plenty of meat leftover from yesterday.” He set the materials in the neat little pile they had going already. “We’ll need to change the blankets and stuff soon, right?”  
  
“Yea, a little less than two weeks, give or take.” Piers felt Raihan join him in the nest. The moment he was close, Piers leaned in and nuzzled him. He paused, internally screaming at himself for being so affectionate so suddenly. That only lasted a moment, as Raihan rumbled a deep purr and nuzzled him back in response. _He’s returning the affection, shouldn’t that mean something?_   
  
“Oh! So, I wanted to tell you something.” Piers looked up at Raihan as he spoke. _Okay, here goes attempt number eight._ “Piers, I─”  
  
“RAIHAN!”   
  
The bigger hybrid growled, grumbling under his breath at the interruption. Piers let out a breathless chuckle. Damn, so close too. “I’ll be right back.” Raihan huffed, leaving the nest to go to the cave entrance. If Piers remembered correctly, the one who called out to Raihan was one of his troupe. Sounded like Sebastian, as he’s the only other male in the little group. Piers idly wondered what they needed to talk to Raihan about and why it was so important they talk to him now.   
  
Whatever it was, Raihan wasn’t gone for more than fifteen minutes dealing with it. Piers was humming and rocking the egg with his tail when Raihan settled behind him with a sigh. He felt Raihan put his chin on his shoulder and Piers didn’t even falter in what he was doing. It all felt so natural. Without thinking, Piers reached up and pet along Raihan’s horns. “So, what was that all about?”  
  
He could feel Raihan’s heavy sigh, “Just the troupe updating me on some scouting I asked them to do.”  
  
“One o’ th’ other clans tryin’ to advance their borders?”   
  
“No, but another clan is having beast problems and I have the troupe looking into it,” Raihan mumbled. Beast problems? That felt like Raihan putting his nose in Spikemuth business. Piers tensed up for only a second before letting it go. He wasn’t the leader anymore. Marnie was, and she would adore any and all help in making their land safe for rearing young again. Who was Piers to stop the help Raihan was giving his clan?  
  
“Awfully kind o’ ye to give ‘em some ‘elp.” Piers looked at Raihan out of the corner of his eye.   
  
“Well, I like to think of myself as helpful when I can be.”Raihan drew back enough to puff out his chest in pride. Piers always finds his eyes drawn to that broad chest every time Raihan does that. His instincts flare and he can’t help but drool a little over the display. He reluctantly tears his gaze away.   
  
“Well, yer ‘elpin’ me raise an egg, so that’s proof yer ‘elpful even with yer rivals.” Piers is doing anything he can to keep from looking at Raihan and how proudly he was showing off.   
  
“Ah, right!” He catches Raihan letting go of the display and returning to snuggling. “Thanks for all you’ve taught me with this! I like to think I’ve done a good job so far!”  
  
“Ye’ve done a great job. Ain’t gonna lie. Thought ye’d break th’ egg th’ first time I left ye alone with it. But I was wrong, an’ yer damn good at listenin’ to instructions.” Raihan nuzzled him happily and Piers couldn’t help but return the gesture with a soft purr.   
  
“I do my best! I mean, I’ll take the fact she’s chattered at me a few times when I’ve talked to her.” Piers noticed Raihan nod toward the egg. “So, uh.. I know I was interrupted earlier but I still want to say─”  
  
That’s when Raihan’s sentence clicked into place and Piers drew back to look into his eyes. “Wait, wait, wait! Did ye jus’ say _she_? Wait, ‘ang on… an’... an’ she spoke to ye?”  
  
Raihan groaned and hung his head, “Gods dammit…” He lifted his head and shook it slowly, “Yea, she spoke to me. Not much, just small things like calling me Da’ and you Ma’. Answering simple questions like favorite colors and what she’d like to wear. She also seems to like to sing like you.” Piers cooed and crooned, curling closer to the egg. He chittered at it, trying to coax her to sing for him. He barely caught how defeated Raihan seemed to be. All his normal bounce and giddiness out the window. He lifted his head, ears lowering as he watched the bigger hybrid move over to the bag he’d brought in earlier to sort through the treasure. His movements were so unenthusiastic that Piers’ heart tightened.   
  
Shit, he fucked up didn’t he? He interrupted Raihan again, on his ninth attempt too. Piers felt like shit, even as the egg chirped at him. It sang softly and he gently pet the scaled surface. After a moment, Piers moved out of the nest and settled behind Raihan. “Sorry…”  
  
“What do you have to be sorry about? I should have told you sooner about the egg talking and singing.” Raihan spoke soft, not stopping his task.   
  
Piers wrapped his arms around him and buried his face against his back, “Ye keep tryin’ to tell me somethin’. ‘M listenin’. Please tell me Rai.” His voice was muffled and sad.   
  
Raihan finally stopped what he was doing and let out a soft sigh. He gently pried Piers off his back and turned towards him. Piers looked into those piercing blue eyes as Raihan spoke. “I wanted to say─” he let out a soft growl, “I swear to the gods if anyone interrupts me again, I’m burning down my clan lands and becoming a bloody hermit!” Piers couldn’t help his stifled laugh, his hand covering his mouth. Raihan eyed him before continuing. “I want you to be my mate.”   
  
Piers’ hand dropped from his mouth and he gaped at Raihan. “I─ Raihan, this ain’t a joke. Please don’t joke with me like that.” He growled out, clenching his teeth.   
  
“I’m not joking, dammit! I’ve been trying to tell you this for the past five days, Piers!”   
  
“There’s… there’s no bloody way ye mean it!” Piers’ anger was crumbling, turning to fear and worry. _Oh gods, please not again._ He couldn’t do it again. It nearly broke him the first time. He opened his mouth to try and plead with Raihan to drop it but instead the bigger hybrid got up. Piers was frozen as Raihan started reading something.   
  
“Today Piers praised me for turning the egg correctly. His wings fluttered in the cutest way.”  
  
“No bloody way─”  
  
“Today I added a few more gems to the nest, replacing the duller ones. None compare to the gem that Piers is. He’s beauty incarnate and─” Piers snatched the notebook from Raihan then, flipping through its pages. He read every current entry and every notation about him added to the page. Raihan wasn’t lying.   
  
_Raihan wasn’t lying_.  
  
Piers shook, his eyes never leaving the book as his brain processed just how much Raihan cared about him. Every little annotation was about how cute or adorable he was when his wings or tail moved. If they didn’t talk about that, then it was about his beauty both physically and on the inside. Raihan even had one entry where he wrote that he didn’t think there was anyone with a soul as beautiful as Piers’. Raihan really did want him.   
  
Piers’ eyes widened and he finally lowered the notebook as things started to click into place. All the cuddling, the closeness. Even in their scuffles, there had been an edge of appreciation. Not like the few brawls he’d had with Leon, where things got tense. It all settled into place and Piers finally realized…  
  
 _Raihan wants_ ** _me._**


	6. Life Mates

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Piers has realized just how much Raihan wants him, but now Raihan has to prove his worth.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is smut at the end of this! If you'd like to skip it, you should be able to tell where it starts. I apologize for any and all spelling typos and such
> 
> and for the horrible smut. I tried ^^;

Foliage and trees passed by in quick succession, blurring together in the background. Piers felt the wind beneath his wings as he flew, going as fast as they could carry him. He rounded a corner quickly. Barely catching it with the soft sonar singing he was doing. He couldn’t be heard, not right now. He couldn’t be seen, doing his best to stick near the tops of trees. He didn’t dare reach the leaves, lest they give him away. He was being chased.    
  
_ Courted _ .   
  
The moment he realized Raihan wanted him, he’d surrendered himself to his instincts. He noticed that Raihan picked up on the change in him, the drake’s eyes darkening and a growl leaving him. If Raihan wanted him to be his mate, he was going to have to work for it. A courting chase was the most intimate thing a potential mate-pair could go through. It proved just how strong their bond was. A failed courting chase meant the pair were never meant to be, and they would go their separate ways.    
  
A successful courting chase, though? Well, that would lead to the next step of proving the potential pair’s compatibility. They would couple as many times as they liked.    
  
This meant if Raihan found and caught Piers, they would mate. Their bodies would become one. While that frightened a small part of him, the majority─ along with his instincts ─reveled in the thought of finally having a life mate. To finally share his days with someone who actually cares about him as much as he cares about them. To be able to build and nest with his mate.    
  
To be able to finally have an egg of his own.    
  
But Raihan wasn’t there yet. They’d only just started the chase and Piers was already getting ahead of himself. Too caught up in his instincts and wants. He should be taking this chase seriously. Raihan needed to show he was worthy of being his mate. Not that Piers didn’t already think he was through their scuffles and how he’d been providing food for them in the last week. Even if he did, Piers wanted to finally let go and allow his instincts to dictate what happened.   
  
Piers hooked himself to a branch of the tallest trees he could find nearby. He paused to catch his breath and assess how far Raihan was from him. As his ears swiveled back and forth, he heard none of the tell-tell sounds Raihan normally made when chasing him during their old brawls. He took a moment to let out a deep breath. Adrenaline was rushing through his veins and while he felt he needed to keep going, Piers decided the small break would be good.    
  
Chittering a soft tune, he used the echo back to examine his surroundings. He could see just fine up close, but if things were far away then his sight was complete shite. He was on the edge of a rather dense forest. He could hear a river and determined that it led into a cave system nearby. Piers felt drawn to the cave and planned to fly to it once he caught his breath. He couldn’t help but feel like something was off. He hadn’t heard a single peep from Raihan this whole time. By now he would have picked up on those strong and confident footsteps. He couldn’t have gotten that far ahead of Raihan, could he?   
  
Piers hesitated for a moment, trying to listen closely for any sort of unnatural sounds. He let go of the branch he hung from, making his way towards the cave. Everything seemed normal until he reached the river bank. He’d just started his flight over the water when his tail was grabbed and he was plucked right out of the air. Piers let out a cry of surprise as he landed on the ground on his back. He met the icy blue gaze of Raihan. A grin of triumph graced his face, his eyes speaking for him. What Raihan didn’t know was that Piers was not about to give in so easily.    
  
Raihan may have won the battle, but the war was only just beginning.    
  
Piers jumped to his feet. He smirked confidently at the larger hybrid before he opened his mouth and let out a disorienting cry. He turned tail, taking to the sky again as Raihan stumbled from the shriek. Piers didn’t get much time to try and fly away from his pursuer, Raihan recovering rather quickly. If he could just reach the cave…! He used as much energy as he could to try and speed up. He was almost there, just a few feet now!   
  
Just as Piers reached the mouth of the cave, he was once again yanked out of the sky. Yelping, he found himself pinned to the ground by Raihan. He growled deeply at the drake, who in turn growled back fiercely. Piers used what little strength he had to roll them. Raihan gripped the base of Piers’ wings, making him cry out in surprise. Piers couldn’t help the little shiver that jolted through his body at the action. He tried not to let Raihan see it but he did.    
  
Piers knew at that moment that he’d lost.    
  
He was quickly on his back as Raihan growled in triumph, nuzzling over his neck. Piers shivered and growled in response, his claws digging into Raihan’s shoulders. The drake crooned in pleasure as he swiped his tongue along Piers’ pulse. They were at the turning point now. If Piers didn’t deem Raihan worthy to be his mate, he could shove the drake off and start-up another chase. But did he really want to do that? Did he really want to stop the direction they were going?    
  
His instincts told him fuck no.   
  
This was it. Raihan was going to be his forever mate, his life mate. They’d couple and their senses would become one. Raihan would be able to sense Piers anywhere in the world and Piers would be able to do the same for Raihan. They would be able to tell what the other’s emotion was for the day. Best of all, they would die when the other did. Their lives would literally become one. Piers was more than ready to have that. He couldn’t think of anyone better to share that with.    
  
Piers let out a breathy moan when Raihan repeated his previous action. He was asked for permission, waiting for his mate to judge him. Was he worthy to have him? Was he worthy to share a life with him? Did Piers want Raihan just as much as he wanted him? All of these questions asked in a single action. In his own single action, a purr of acceptance, Piers gave Raihan the permission he was seeking.    
  
Fangs sinking into skin caused Piers to gasp out in surprise. A rush of pleasure washed over him in an instant. His claws dug deeply into Raihan’s shoulder blades as he ground up against him. Raihan growled and ground back against Piers, letting go of his bite and lapping up the blood left behind. Piers snarled, deciding it was his turn, biting into Raihan’s neck. The drake cried out, bucking harder against Piers this time. He couldn’t help his little purr as he drew back, licking his lips.    
  
Raihan’s pupils were blown as he stared down at him. Piers had never seen someone look at him with so much lust before. It sent a tingle up his spine, drawing Raihan down into a deep yet tender kiss. Their lips moved against one another as Raihan continued to buck his hips against him. When they broke for air, Piers whimpered loudly. “Raihan─”   
  
“Shh…” Raihan rumbled gripping Piers’ thighs in his clawed hands. He gently spread the small hybrid’s legs, nuzzling him. “I got you, babe. Let me take care of you.” He cooed softly. Piers trembled as Raihan rubbed against his hidden yet wet cunt. Gods, Raihan felt impossibly big against him. He looked down in between them and his breath caught. Raihan was more than just hung. He was so damn  _ big _ . Was he really going to fit? Piers looked up at Raihan with worry written all over his face. The drake chuckled in response. “Didn’t I say let me take care of you?” He purred. “Relax, don’t stress.” Raihan pressed against Piers. “Let me in, baby.”   
  
Piers swallowed thickly, looking down in just enough time to watch as Raihan slid into him. A moan bubbled up his throat and Piers trembled, unable to look away even if his eyes felt heavy with every movement. His claws moved down Raihan’s shoulders so he could grip his mate’s forearms tightly instead.    
  
“That’s it, almost there.” Raihan crooned, pressing tender kisses to Piers’ forehead. Piers stared as Raihan finally bottomed out. He panted softly, noticing the slight tremors in Raihan’s body. Piers reached up, cupping Raihan’s face as his lips joined the drake’s once more. It must be taking all Raihan could muster to not move. Piers appreciated it immensely. After a few minutes, Piers found himself rolling his hips with a soft growl. Raihan returned the growl, snapping his hips forward. His thrusts forced moans up Piers’ throat.    
  
Piers moved his hands so his claws tangled into Raihan’s hair. He pressed his forehead to his beloved’s shoulder. He allowed his eyes to slip shut as every push made Piers feel something new. It’s when Raihan hit a certain spot that Piers gasps out. “R-Raihan! Th-there! Gods, please!” He pleads.    
  
Raihan chuckles as he shifted his hips, his thrusts now hitting that spot every time. He pressed his lips to Piers’ ear and whispered, “You like that, babe? I promise I’ll ruin you so you want no one else but me.” Raihan snapped his hips hard, making Piers cry out in pleasure. “Close already? I can feel you squeezing me so tightly~” He purred, his hips started to pick up the pace.    
  
Piers clung to Raihan, his legs starting to tremble from the force of Raihan’s thrusts. He can’t help but moan loudly with each thrust. Words evade him as something starts to build. All Piers can do is whimper to warn Raihan. His darling rumbles in approval. “Cum for me, beloved.” Raihan’s whispered, yet desperate words has Piers crying out his name as he climaxes. He sees stars over his vision and can’t stop his shaking as Raihan laughs softly.    
  
“Don’t think I’m done with you yet, love. We’re only just getting started~”


	7. Secrets Revealed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Piers freaks out about leaving the egg alone but Raihan reconciles him by giving Piers his notebook.
> 
> Unfortunately, he forgot what he wrote in it and some things come to light.

Pride and joy welled up in Raihan’s breast. But for as happy as he was, he was also worried over Piers. Their courting chase and coupling had been the best things to happen in his life but the moment they got back Piers was kicking himself. He shut down and no matter what, Raihan couldn’t get his beloved to tell him what was wrong. He felt horrible that he couldn’t help his adorable little mate. He felt even worse when, hours later, he finally figured out why Piers was being so hard on himself.    
  
They’d left their egg alone.    
  
He was so stupid! Of course Piers was sulking over that! Raihan moved into the nest, curling around Piers and the egg. He nuzzled his mate’s neck, tenderly licking over the mark left from their joining. A mark to never fade. He earned a soft croon from his beloved, Piers relaxing some against him. He ran his claws gently through his hair, rumbling softly for his mate. “Feeling any better, babe?”   
  
Piers let out a sigh, “Maybe a tiny bit…”    
  
Raihan hummed, reaching over Piers and the egg for his notebook. He could feel Piers staring at him as he did. He flipped through its pages before smiling. “Well, you did say being away from the egg was good for its development.”    
  
“Gimme that!” Piers grabbed the notebook out of Raihan’s hands. He planned for that. After all, Piers should own it since it’s what got them together. He smirked as Piers’ eyes danced over the page. Piers blushed some and waved the notebook at him. “Ye were starin’ at me arse while I told ye this!”   
  
“And what a nice arse it is.”   
  
“Ye wrote that too!” Piers was crimson in the face. Raihan laughed softly, hugging his sweetheart close. He playfully reached out for the book only to get a deep growl from Piers. “What do ye think yer doin’?” Raihan put his hands up and chuckled. “That’s right, s’mine now. Ye better not reach for it again unless I say so, got it?”   
  
“Yes, master.” Raihan teased him with a gigantic grin on his face. He snickered as Piers playfully shoved him in response. “Okay, okay! I understand!” He couldn’t help but smile. It was really nice to see his beloved’s spirits raised. He beamed as he nuzzled against Piers’ neck, getting a soft purr in response. As thorny as his mate may seem, he secretly seemed to love all the attention Raihan was raining on him. Granted, He wasn’t about to complain when he could dote on Piers all he wanted.    
  
Speaking of, Raihan uncurled himself from his little mate. Piers made a small whimper in response. He chuckled and kissed his cheek. “I’ll be right back, I just want to go cook some of the leftover veal we have.”    
  
Piers hummed in response, his ear flicking and his tail lashing as he flipped a page in the notebook. “Okay, luv.” He spoke indifferently, but his stomach growled and gave him away. Raihan smirked, slipping out of the cave. He wasn’t gone long, using the community bonfire to cook the veal. He wanted nothing more than to be beside Piers and the egg. He reentered the cave and settled by his love, nuzzling the mark once again.    
  
“Enjoying the notebook?” Raihan rumbled and started cutting up the cooked veal into bite-sized pieces. He offered one to Piers, who ate it without thinking. He sighed happily, eating a few bits himself.    
  
“I am… though I didn’t know that ye were raised to take out the Wyndon royal family.” Piers said after he swallowed what he was eating.    
  
Raihan looked a bit sheepish, laughing some. “I forgot I wrote that in there… ah, yea. My mother was quite a wrathful woman. Hence why I ended up being taken in by Rowan in my teen years. Unfortunately, I did do what dear old mum wanted.”    
  
“Ye took out Rose?” Piers looked at him in surprise.    
  
“Yea. That’s why Lee is the clan leader now. Killed Rose and let him have the glory.”    
  
“But...that leaves out…” Piers brought his gaze back to the notebook and flipped to another page. Raihan fed him a few more times before it seemed Piers found what he was looking for. “No gods damned way... “ He breathed before bringing that vivid teal gaze upon Raihan. “Yea made Jaxon disappear?” He whispered.    
  
Raihan nodded, steeling himself, “Yea… he knew I was trying to court you, so in a bid to try and hurt us both, he led you on.” Piers opened his mouth to say something but Raihan gently squeezed his shoulders, “I  _ promise _ you on my whole being that I made him  _ pay  _ for the way he hurt you.” he spoke lowly.    
  
Piers’ eyes searched him. For what, Raihan didn’t know, he only hoped they found what they looked for and deemed him worthy to still be his mate. Realization dawned on his lovely mate’s face, “The courtin’ gifts! They were─”   
  
“Yea… I thought my scales in that blanket would have given me away the moment you saw it. Still, you accepted it.”   
  
“I wasn’t myself then. ‘ad little energy to do anythin’. Felt like th’ world was crushin’ me under its weight. I do remember thinkin’ whoever was sendin’ me courtin’ gifts must be clearly pityin’ me. But that blanket. No one puts that much effort into makin’ somethin’ an’ includin’ their own scales if they weren’t serious about it.” Piers shook his head and laughed some. “If not for that blanket, I would ‘ave withered away in that nest. I don’t go anywhere without it.”   
  
“And now the egg has it.” Raihan moved some of Piers’ hair out his face, smiling tenderly at him.    
  
“Hope.”    
  
“Hope?” Raihan repeated, a bit confused.    
  
“That’s what we should name ‘er. Hope.” Piers nodded to the egg he was currently turning gently. Raihan nodded in agreement. Hope. Their little Hope. The name was absolutely perfect. If not for this egg, Raihan might not have gotten this far with Piers in the first place. Raihan set their empty plate aside to clean later. He wrapped his arms around his beloved, nuzzling his cheek to Piers’. He adored their cuddle time, even more so now that they were official. It was so nice, being able to say they were a thing. A permanent thing at that. Raihan had closed his eyes, allowing himself to enjoy the closeness while Piers read.    
  
He heard the notebook close and Piers began to hum a soft lullaby. Raihan lifted his head, looking at his love as his heart pounded in his chest.   
  
♪” Hush, child, the darkness will rise from the deep

And carry you down into sleep

Child, the darkness will rise from the deep

And carry you down into sleep…”♪   
  
Raihan’s eyes widened and his breath caught.    
  
♪”Guileless Son, I'll shape your belief

And you'll always know that your father's a thief

And you won't understand the cause of your grief

But you'll always follow the voices beneath”♪   
  
Raihan felt his head spin, the following word uttered from Piers’ lips.  _ Loyalty. _   
  
♪”Guileless Son, your spirit will hate her

The flower who married my brother the traitor

And you will expose his puppet behaviour

For you are the proof of how he betrayed her loyalty”♪   
  
_ Loyalty, loyalty, loyalty only to me. _ _   
_ _   
_ Piers sang the first verse again and Raihan could feel his heart rate pick up. He felt himself humming along with Piers’ singing.    
  
_ Loyalty, loyalty, loyalty, loyalty.  _ _   
_ _   
_ Before Raihan realized what he was doing, he sang the next verse with Piers.    
  
♪”Guileless Son, each day you grow older

Each moment I'm watching my vengeance unfold

For the child of my body, the flesh of my soul

Will die in returning the birthright he stole.”♪   
  
_ Loyalty, loyalty, loyalty only to me. _ _   
_ _   
_ The song he was meant to sing to Piers, he was now singing with him. To Raihan’s surprise, they were  _ harmonizing _ even on the last verse. He could hear his heartbeat in his ears as he and Piers locked eyes, their voices fading out at the last words.    
  
_ Loyalty only to me. _   
  
“How… how did you─?”   
  
“Yer mum’s a very famous dragon. Got ‘er own lullaby named after ‘er. Mordred was betrayed by Rose an’ ‘er lullaby spread like wildfire after she disappeared. I jus’ figured it out.” Piers hugged him close, rubbing his back soothingly. “Not sure ye’d ever want me to sing that again…”   
  
“It’s both a comfort and a fear… but when you sing it, it sounds more like a typical lullaby. If you want to continue singing it to Hope, I’m okay with that.” Raihan relaxed in Piers’ arms.    
  
“Any time ye ask, ‘ll sing it. Otherwise, it won’t be sung.”    
  
“Thank you,” Raihan whispered.    
  
_ Thank you. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, this chapter is a bit shorter than the rest.


	8. No Good Very Bad Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Raihan has a down day but Piers knows what to do to cheer him up!

It had been so sudden and so…  
  
Raihan hadn’t felt like this in quite a while. He’d had no hints to this feeling this past week. Happy to dote on Piers and chat with their little hatchling. Hope was getting pretty chatty lately. She really loved to sing too. He’d find himself returning from a hunt only to catch his beloved and their hatchling singing together. It was the most adorable sight and sound he’d had the pleasure to witness.  
  
So, why now, does he feel so unworthy?  
  
He’d proven himself good enough to be Piers’ mate. He’d caught him fair and square. Piers had agreed that Raihan had proven himself, or they wouldn’t have coupled like they did. Yet, he was allowing his brain to convince him otherwise. He stood just outside of their den, looking down at the cleaned meat he was bringing back. Not as good of a catch as last week, he could have done better. _Should_ have done better for his little family. He growled lowly at himself in frustration. There was no reason he should feel like this!  
  
“Luv?”  
  
Raihan lifted his eyes from the ground, gaze locking with Piers’ concerned one. He opened his mouth to say something but realization settled on his mate’s face. Piers placed his finger to Raihan’s lips and shook his head. Without a word, he was being led into the nesting room by Piers. His beloved took the bag of meat from him and gently coaxed Raihan to curl around the egg. Hope must have sensed his mood, as she immediately started singing to him. He couldn’t help relaxing, even if only slightly, hearing her. He ran his claws gently over the scaled egg, nuzzling gently against it.  
  
Hope sang her little heart out to Raihan before chittering at him. He responded with appraising clicks. The little hatchling could still feel his mood and chirped sadly at him. Raihan rumbled, trying to reassure her it had nothing to do with her or her Ma. He’d been so consumed with talking to Hope and listening to her that he barely caught the smell of something delicious. He lifted his head and sniffed the air. Gods, what was that scent? It smelled so… delectable! Raihan couldn’t help himself, getting up. “I’ll be right back, promise.” He whispered to Hope.  
  
He left the nesting room and slipped down the winding hall before stopping in front of the alcove where he normally would cook. There he watched as Piers swayed his hips, humming. His beloved little mate stood over a bubbling pot of stew. His wings were folded over his hips, his tail swaying with his movements and─ Gods, is Piers’ hair _down?_ The whole image has taken Raihan’s breath away. His sharp intake of air alerted Piers to his presence, one of his ears twitching in response before he turned his eyes to Raihan. A smirk graced his darling’s face as he stirred the stew like a pro. “Got curious about th’ smell, luv?”  
  
“Never smelled something so good before.” Raihan blurted before going crimson in the face.  
  
Piers chuckled some, shifting his weight to his other foot. “Well, s’almost done. Go on then, Hope luvs when she gets to dote on anyone.” He waved Raihan off. Raihan can’t help but listen, slinking back into the nesting room. He returned to his previous place, curling around the egg. Hope greeted him with happy whistles. Raihan nuzzled the egg with a content rumble before wrapping his arms tenderly around it.  
  
“Yer Ma is making dinner… I didn’t think there was any way your Ma could look even more ethereal… but I was wrong.” He whispered to Hope. She chirped in response as if telling him that she could have told him he’d be wrong. “Hey! Don’t get sassy with me! Taking after your Ma already and you aren’t even out of your egg yet!” He clicked his tongue playfully.  
  
“Ye should ‘ear ‘er when s’jus’ me an’ ‘er. Sounds like ‘m talkin’ to ye.” Piers smiled as he settled next to Raihan. Raihan sat up, staring at the single bowl Piers held in his hands. Before he can say anything, his little mate has climbed into his lap, settled down, and grabbed the spoon, intent on feeding Raihan himself. _Oh dear gods, he wants to feed me!_ Raihan felt conflicted on the inside. On one hand, he was feeling really down. On the other, Piers was being so cute and he just wanted to squish all his love into his little mate! “Rai… ‘ard to feed ye if ye ain’t listenin’ to me…”  
  
“Ah! S-sorry!” He laughed nervously. He turned his attention back to Piers, watching as his beloved blew on the stew to cool it. The moment Piers offered the bite of food to him, Raihan easily ate it. He was about to ask Piers if he was going to eat when Piers used the same spoon to feed himself. He blushed and rumbled his approval.  
  
Piers giggled softly, a sound very rare from his mate, and nuzzled Raihan. “It’s a wonder I ain’t ever done this before.” He hummed as he fed Raihan another bite. Piers alternated feeding them both in this way. A bit of Raihan’s darkness lifted, feeling the love and adoration from his darling mate. The food was gone before Raihan knew it. Piers nuzzled him with a soft purr before getting up and leaving the room to wash the bowl.  
  
This left Raihan time to contemplate the thoughts swirling deep in his mind. Piers wouldn’t be doing what he was if he felt forced into this mateship. He wouldn’t coo over Raihan caring for the egg or even show any affection if that’s how he felt. Raihan’s brain argued back that Piers hadn’t noticed his advances for years. What if this was all Piers being in love with the _idea_ of their love but was not actually _in love_ with him? He let out a soft whimper of distress without realizing it until Piers gathered him into his arms.  
  
“Shh… I ‘ave ye. Let me take care o’ ye for once, luv.” He whispered against Raihan’s horn. Raihan wrapped his arms around his beloved, burying his face against Piers’ neck. Piers gently took Raihan’s hair down and brushed the soft locks gently with his fingers. Raihan could feel him shift, hearing Piers grab a few things. He dared not move from where he was, needing Piers to ground him and keep the dark thoughts at bay.  
  
Piers didn’t seem to mind this at all, his tail curling around Raihan’s stubby one. Raihan closed his eyes, listening to the steady rhythm of his mate’s heart. He could hear Piers and Hope humming in unison as Piers braided his hair. Well, he assumed that’s what Piers did. He was too focused on the various sounds to really register what exactly his mate was doing to him. He noticed when Piers stopped messing with his hair. He picked up the sounds of a glass jar being opened and the feel of cool oil against his metallic scales.  
  
Raihan had never felt something so soothing being massaged into his scales before. Piers kissed his forehead before moving to kiss over Raihan’s eyelids. He knew that’s what his mate was doing, having felt it. The more his mate doted, the more he relaxed. Raihan was slowly coming to a more relaxed and neutral state of mind. All the things Piers had done thus far had been effective in chasing back the darkness. Raihan found himself so thankful for Piers. Before, he would have been curled up in this den, in an empty nest for two to three days straight. He always struggled so much with days like this.  
  
The sound of scales rubbing against one another caught his attention. Raihan opened his eyes, looking up at a smiling Piers. “Got yer attention did I? Thought ye were fast asleep with all th’ treasures ‘ve decked ye in.”  
  
Raihan blinked before he moved back to look over himself. The first thing he noticed was that his scales were buffed and shined. The second thing he noticed was the rings made from various gemstones on his fingers and the gold plated bracelet upon his wrist. Piers then held up a mirror for him. His eyes widened at the thin golden chain decorating his horns. The blue and orange flowers in his dreaded─ not braided ─ hair made his breath catch.  
  
All of it… everything Piers had placed on him… it couldn’t be, could it?  
  
He turned his gaze back on Piers in time to have his beloved settle a blanket in his lap. It was of a dark blue and orange material, lined with Piers’ own scales. Raihan shook, feeling overwhelming emotions and doing his best not to cry in front of his love. He tried to blink away the tears, laughing dryly as he sniffled softly. Piers clicked his tongue and shook his head. “Ain’t done yet, Luv.”  
  
Not done yet? What more could Piers give him?! He'd pretty much given him more than even just the world on a silver platter! There was nothing he could do to make Raihan happier than he was right now.  
  
At least… that’s what Raihan thought.  
  
Until Piers handed him a hoodie. At first glance, it looked like one of his normal hoodies. Dark blue with orange trim and light blue paneling on the front. But then Raihan took a closer look at the hood itself. Decorated along the edge were his own scales, Piers’ scales, and what few scales had fallen off of the egg so far. Raihan’s shaking started anew before the flood gates finally opened. He hugged the hoodie to himself before Piers gathered him into his arms, where he sobbed harder. “I bloody fuckin’ love you, Piers!”  
  
“I luv ye too Raihan… never doubt that.”  
  
Raihan believed he never would again. Not when he had all these courting gifts to remind him. 


	9. Joint Hunt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Raihan and Piers go on a joint hunt

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Most of this chapter comes from the wonderful [Vaandel](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vandel_Ize/pseuds/Vandel_Ize)! Please go give their stuff a read! If not for them, there would be no action (and a small bit of smut ;P) in this chapter!

Piers had found that within the last few weeks, he was feeling strange. He was craving food more in the exotic category, feeling tired a bit more easily, but most of all… his moods were swinging in the blink of an eye. One moment he’d be happy and content, the next he’d be upset about something really small. He was starting to feel dizzy from the whiplash. The subject that had his mood changing at the drop of a hat was the thought of leaving the egg alone… again. Every time Raihan brought it up, Piers would snap. His instincts taking over and only stepping down when Raihan reminded him gently of the egg rearing he’d taught his mate.   
  
Piers ended up mulling it over.   
  
It was true he was the one that said that there were times when the egg would require some time to itself. Bonding was critical but he also knew it was just as critical for the development of the hatchling to have time of its own, else it imprints too heavily and can lose its own sense of self. He sighed deeply pacing back and forth outside of the nest conflicted. He’d been fine so long as one of them had been there to guard the egg closely but the thought of leaving it fully unguarded made him whine in distress.   
  
When he’d left the nest earlier, Raihan had been curled about the egg. Piers did his best not to disturb his dear heart but knew Raihan probably sensed his worry. He knew Raihan could feel him battling with himself over the last few days ever since he had taught his bigger mate about an egg’s development and the discussion of leaving the egg unguarded for a while had come up. He turned to see Raihan approaching him then and opened his mouth to say something but his love shook his head in Response.   
  
Then, Raihan suggested something he never thought would even be considered by his mate.   
  
A joint Hunt.   
  
There must have been a specific look on his face before Raihan swiftly said, “you know, I’m happy to ask my brood to watch out over the entrance to the lair...they know well not to set foot within my nest but if it helps ease your mind any, I’d happily have the orders set.”   
  
The thought of the egg being protected in _some way_ seemed to settle his instincts a bit. His mind immediately went back to the thought of a joint hunt. To Spikemuth, joint hunts were pretty frequent and used as a way to bond. For Hammerlocke it was much more sacred and Piers knew this. To have Raihan suggest it meant so many things. It made Piers’ heart swell and he decided there was no way he could miss out on this.   
  
So he agreed to it.   
  
The prey they’d targeted and been stalking the past half-hour was far bigger than anything he’d taken on before but Raihan’s plan did instil enough confidence in him to try. Comparatively, his job seemed far easier than Raihan’s, who’d deemed he’d be able to land the killing blow on the hulking giant. Distract and corral the beast into a corner had been his instructions, acting as a decoy was something Piers was undoubted a master of. Raihan had noted it with a wink before his eyes had glowed and darkened, allowing his instincts to switch into full hunt mode. Turning on his heels as he’d made his way into the brushwood erasing his presence and disappearing from Piers view and sense. Piers watched him gripping his chest feeling it swell with something akin to pride at being allowed to hunt aside Raihan.   
  
Piers amped himself up for this, confident he had the upper hand on a beast tied exclusively to land. He reminded himself that he’d had enough bouts with Raihan, Milo, and Gordie to know that was not always true. He needed to keep himself from getting too cocky. Using a rapid succession of soft barley audible clicks he began mapping the area in his mind tilting his head every which way, figuring out the best route. There was a enclosed area nearby that could be useful but too close to have the beast anywhere as worn out as they wanted. Raihan would need some kind of edge for a creature this size.   
  
He shook his head, allowing his mind to reach further, further, and further still, determined to ensure this hunt was successful. His eyes snapped open and his predatory gaze was on full display, perfect, and with that, he took to silently to the sky. He’d circled about the sky over looking the land below him. Though he could not see nor sense Raihan he knew the other was not too far from his location. He coasted on the air current for a few moments longer before drawing a deep breath and emitted a loud, piercing, and shrill Boomburst cry, startling the massive beast. At the same time, he dove, his talons outstretched at the last minute to slash into its side. The creature reared attempting to strike back out at Piers but from the brushwood, a beam emitted striking one of its leads tripping it up. Piers swooped in again emitting an ear-piercing screech that made the beast back step.   
  
Realising Piers wasn’t alone the creature was beginning to hesitate. He hummed, just one more push and with a malicious smirk, he began to emit the first notes of his perish song. Without so much as waiting, the beast turned tail stampeding out of range. His grin widened, the hunt was now truly on. Again Piers dove, swooping in and striking the hide of the creature with a well-aimed Air Slash, tossing in a Wing Attack for good measure. He used Dragon Pulse and Boomburst in succession to keep their prey moving closer and closer. The thought of Raihan dashing, working through the brush to have to stealthily dodge the crossfires of Piers attacks sent a thrill down his spine. Piers let out a loud trumpeting roar that echoed his amusement and thrill of the chase, diving more. His eyes sought out the vague direction he could sense Raihan in before he took a savagely harsh bite from the beasts side.   
  
There was an unmistakable deep rumbling growl that seemed to encompass the area, which threw the beast into an all-out panic. It picked up its pace now, uncaring for any injury it sustained. The only thing on its brain now was to escape as it stumbled in a blind rush right into a dead end. Piers rose up to the sky at the area between freedom and death and cried out to the sky. Raihan had paused to watch the scene, having been on the receiving end of it so many times before it never failed to enchant him as the Noivern Hybrid called forth his most devastating attack, Draco Meteor, blocking the beast’s escape and leaving their prey trapped. Piers” part was over now. He’d played it perfectly and he knew it, his fur fully furled as he coasted, circling about the enclosed space letting out encouraging clicks, biding Raihan show him his skill. He could feel Raihan watching, his gaze hooded as he licked his lips at the display and growled deeply. Their prey let out a desperate cry, large horns flailing about in a deadly last ditched fight for life. Raihan stalked about the brush, deliberately running his metallic claws against wood and rock surfaces in a clear display of confidence, agitating the wild creature into an outrage. Within a flash, he met the bulking creature head-on. The deathly sound of the metallic impact his skull made to the creature had Piers letting out an appreciative whistle as he watched on keenly.   
  
The creature attempted again to run Raihan through with its sharpened claws. Raihan’s glance was deathly, he had a lovely mate to impress, and unfortunately for this prey, he was determined to show off just what he was capable of. In a show of strength, he caught two of the horns in his grip, stopping its advance. He took in a deep traveled breath and let out a roar as he heaved the creature backward. Digging his heels in, Raihan shot himself upwards hauling the massive body along with him and tossing it on its side with a yell. He slammed it into the ground with enough force to set off a minor earthquake, one of his favoured moves. The creature was crippled, unable to find its feet anymore. It flailed about madly as Raihan stalked towards it in a sheer show of dominance growling lowly.   
  
Piers had swooped in closer and landed not far away. He shuddered and swallowed, leaning up against a nearby tree. His breath was ragged, panting harshly not only from the chase now as he watched, transfixed by Raihan’s display as the metallic drake brought down his powerful, bone-crushing jaw upon the pulse of their prey. Eyes meeting, Piers stared back, paralyzed by the gaze. He let out a crooning purr as the hunt came to its end, but, had it? He watched as Raihan’s jaw unhinged itself and the hybrid reared back letting out a triumphant cry.   
  
Piers could stand it any longer, wings effortlessly carrying him at high speed, dragging Raihan to the ground with a strength that even surprised him. His mouth was upon his love’s in seconds, the sharp bite of those metal claws weaving into Raihan’s hair as their tails tangled together, pulling the other impossibly close. Both of them groaned with an unsated hunger. Their bodies moved together, desperately grinding against one another, not a wasted movement between them as claws racked against scales. Their cries echoed out into the still night air. Piers perched atop his mate, hair and wings cloaking the pair in a dark veil as he lowered himself onto Raihan, guiding himself until the other was fully seated inside him. His gaze never wavered from those heated orbs of blue. Raihan let out a growl, one clawed hand digging into the flesh of his mates slight boney hip, the other threading into the monochrome locks. Raihan pulled him forward into another searing kiss as he gave a testing roll of his hips. His eyes closed in bliss at the heat that enveloped him, swallowing the desperate moan that emanated from Piers. Piers clawed at his spine, rocking his hips in a need for more friction. He pulled back, a saliva trail connecting them for a moment as they gazed at one another again. Piers leaned forward nuzzling his nose against the side of his cheek, nibbling his way to the tip of a pointed ear,   
  
“Raihan...ruin me” he purred biting down upon the tip is his ear. Raihan’s mind went blank as he surged forward biting down upon the side of Piers’ neck with a deep and savage growl.   
  
*******   
  
Piers and Raihan reentered the den, looking like they’d been to war. Raihan had sent out a signal to his clansmates to do break down and bring back their hunt. After such an eventful day, Piers was ready to rest. Stepping into the nesting room, he froze. He looked up at Raihan, who seemed to have heard the same thing he had.   
  
The sound of cracking echoed throughout the room. 


	10. Hatching Egg

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Egg finally hatches!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! If you haven't noticed, this fic now has title art! I added it to the first chapter!
> 
> Hope you guys enjoy this chapter!

Piers rushed towards the egg, Raihan right on his tail. They both curled loosely around it. Raihan let out a distressed sound and Piers turned his attention to him. He looked absolutely worried. His look made Piers realize this was the first time his bigger mate was witnessing an egg hatching. “Rai, luv, s’okay─”   
  
“What do I do? What do  _ we _ do?” He whimpered softly.    
  
Piers smiled at him gently. “We encourage ‘er. She’s ‘atchin’. It’s time for ‘er to come out an’ greet us.” He could see Raihan slowly relaxing at his words. His love nodded before gently pressing his nose to the egg. Raihan whispered words of encouragement and Piers couldn’t help but fluffy his chest fur proudly. Hope responded with soft chirps and Piers nuzzled the egg gently. “Ye can do it. If ye need a rest right now, take a breather. We ain’t goin’ anywhere else.”   
  
He received chittering in response. Piers ran his claws gently over the egg as Raihan cooed to Hope. “How long does this normally take?” Raihan asked softly.    
  
“Anywhere from an ‘our to five. S’up to ‘er ‘ow much energy she wants to use to get out. It also depends on ‘ow well we reared ‘er egg.” Piers ran his claw along the crack, not disturbing it. “But she’s gotten pretty far as of right now. A few more good bites with ‘er egg tooth an’ we should be seein’ our sweet girl soon.”    
  
“She sounds so tired… do you think she panicked being alone?” Raihan locked eyes with Piers. That was a good question, if Piers had to be honest. Even if she did, she wouldn’t have been able to hatch right now if it wasn’t time for her to.    
  
“While it is possible, she wouldn’t ‘ave been able to crack ‘er egg early. There’s a certain point when ‘er egg tooth is fully developed that only means it’s time for ‘er to come out.” He rubbed Raihan’s arm soothingly. “If anythin’ is wrong with ‘er, it ‘appened before she was in our care.” His darling nodded to him, wrapping his tail around Piers’ in a motion that said he needed a bit of comfort.    
  
So maybe Raihan was still nervous, but Piers couldn’t blame him. He remembered how overwhelmed he felt watching Marnie hatch. He always wondered if he reared her egg wrong, but she turned out better than fine. Piers always attributed that to their mom and dad having helped him rear her. They only let him help in order to teach him how to do it.    
  
Raihan didn’t get the opportunity. Piers still felt bad about Raihan’s parentage. That was a whole convoluted can of worms. He was just happy that Rowan had taken Raihan in when he did. And now, Piers was here for Raihan. He gently took his love’s hand in his own, squeezing gently. Raihan squeezed back and gave Piers a thankful smile.    
  
After what felt like a long time, Hope went back to trying to hatch. She trilled, cracking the egg more. “C’mon. Sweet we’an. Ye can do it.” Piers encouraged her softly. She chirped, taking another crack at the shell.    
  
“That’s it, Hope! You got this!” Raihan joined in, rumbling deep in his chest. He watched on with an awestruck expression. Hope whistled in response, trying harder than before. Piers was about to tell her to take her time when she broke through the shell. Both Raihan and Piers gasped at the same time. Piers couldn’t look away, the little hybrid they had been raising was an Altaria. Hope blinked and stared back at them before she started singing in triumph. She looked to be about two or three in appearance.   
  
Raihan laughed, and Piers could tell he was itching to gather their daughter close. “Go on luv, ye can finally ‘old ‘er.” At his nudging, Raihan reached out and plucked Hope from the remains of her egg. That’s when they saw it and another gasp left them. Piers clicked his tongue, gently touching the deformed little wing. Hope didn’t seem to mind and with her not reacting, Piers decided it wasn’t too bad. “She’ll still be able to use it, jus’ not often an’ for overlong.” He spoke softly. Raihan nodded sadly, cradling Hope close.    
  
She cuddled up to him with a happy little chirp. Piers wrapped his arms and wings around them both, relaxing some. “So… what do we feed her?” Raihan asked after a moment. Piers drew back and gently got Hope to show him her belly. He gently tickled her sides, making her giggle and laugh.    
  
“Looks like she ain’t absorbed all o’ yolk yet.” He pointed to the yellow thing hanging from her bellybutton. “We got a few days before we need to feed ‘er anything. Normally ye feed ‘er small things, like rabbits an’ smaller ‘unts.” Raihan nodded, reaching for a new notebook to take notes. Piers growled and handed him back his old notebook. “Jus’ make sure ye write about me more…” He blushed and looked away as Raihan took it from him.    
  
“Okay, I promise.” Raihan chuckled, “Man… I still have so much to learn.” He breathed in excitement. Piers couldn’t help but smile, placing his chin on Raihan’s shoulder. He watched the man write before his love perked up. “I need to go tell my clansmates! The tribe loves celebrating hatching days!”    
  
“Alright love, go on then.” Piers gently took Hope from him. “She shouldn’t leave the nest so soon, so ‘ll watch over ‘er while ye do what ye need to do.” Raihan beamed and kissed Piers.    
  
“I love you.” Raihan kissed Hope’s forehead, “and you too! I’ll be back soon!” He rushed out of the cave. Piers let out a soft sigh and shook his head.    
  
“Jus’ between ye an’ me, yer Da’ is all energy.” He snickered. Hope trilled happily at him, cuddling against his belly. Piers watched her, suddenly feeling conflicted again. He’d been moody still, craving all sorts of exotic foods, and worse yet he wanted a fight with Raihan really badly. Within the last few weeks, he’d found himself getting into playful verbal spats with his mate. They helped the itch a bit but it was persistent. He’d started wondering if something was wrong with him.    
  
Piers shook his head, running his claws gently through Hope’s white curls. If she wasn’t an Altaria, people could easily mistake her for Raihan’s and his child. She just looked like a mix of the two of them. Either way, Piers thought she was absolutely beautiful, and Gods save anyone who hurt Hope’s feelings. Piers nuzzled the top of her head before grabbing his brush from nearby. He was gentle with brushing his daughter’s hair, humming a soft tune as he did. Hope joined in, sitting still for him. He tied her hair into curly pigtails and smiled.    
  
Hope chirped at him and hugged him tightly. “Tank you, Ma!”   
  
“Yer welcome, Sweet’eart.” He hugged her back, snuggling her close.    
  
Hope nuzzled his belly again before she chirped a soft, “...lil’ brudder!” Piers froze, his hand resting on her back. Hope just said─ oh gods was he really? She wouldn’t have said that if he wasn’t and hatchlings were more aware of it than adults were. He’d know, he witnessed it multiple times in his clan. His heart swelled at the thought of him being─   
  
“Piers?” Raihan’s clawed hand waved in front of his face.    
  
He blinked and blushed lightly. “Sorry, I was spacin’ out.” He felt Raihan curl around him and Hope, snuggling with them. Piers smiled softly, subtly resting his hand on his belly. The prospect too good to be true. His life was already at the stage of being in more than he deserved. He was more than lucky to have a mate and a daughter, to also have an egg too? He had to bite his cheek from overreacting. He looked at Raihan out of the corner of his eye. He was nuzzling Hope.    
  
Gods, they were too cute together. The thought of Raihan doting on him after he had their egg? It was too precious. He wasn’t going to tell Raihan about it yet. This needed to be a surprise. So long as Raihan hadn’t noticed yet. Piers thought about it and decided his mate probably hadn’t figured it out and probably wouldn’t. Sure, he’d been around pregnant clansmates but he probably didn’t know the signs. Which just worked in Piers’ favor.    
  
He suddenly felt overly giddy. He couldn’t wait to see the look on Raihan’s face when he came back to the den and there was a new egg. Would he cry? Be happy? He’d probably need to get all that energy out. Piers would kill to see Raihan running laps around the den screaming out his joy about being a dad. That would be rather adorable.    
  
Hope chittered at them both before she yawned softly. Piers picked her up and cradled her in his arms. “Looks like it’s nap time.” He hummed softly, rocking her. Raihan rested his chin on Piers’ shoulder, humming with him. Piers put thoughts of being pregnant with their egg on the back burner. Without much thought, he began singing to Hope. Raihan joined him, both of them harmonizing together. That seemed to be her weakness, the little hybrid falling asleep within seconds.    
  
One day…. One day she’d join her Ma and Da in singing her little brother to sleep. 


End file.
